BLUEBERRY MUFFIN AND BUTTERMILK PANCAKES CAKE

This fast and easy cake tastes like a big buttermilk pancake that ran into a blueberry muffin on the way to the oven. It's fluffy, tender, and moist from both the buttermilk and sour cream that's incorporated into the batter. The blueberries are plentiful, juicy, and the perfect compliment to this extremely soft cake.

1 1/4 cups frozen blueberries (don't unthaw, add them to the batter frozen; see below about using fresh)

confectioners' sugar, optional for dusting or see glaze suggestions below

DIRECTIONS:

1-Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.

2-In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 6 dry ingredients (through optional salt); set aside.

3-In a separate small bowl, whisk together the next 5 wet ingredients (through vanilla).

4-Add the wet mixture to the dry, mixing lightly with a spoon or folding with a spatula until just combined. Lumps will be present and this is okay. Don't overmix or try to stir them smooth.

5-Gently and briefly fold in the frozen blueberries. Note - I used frozen blueberries and added them frozen because frozen berries run and bleed less than if they're thawed. If using fresh berries, baking time will be significantly (possibly drastically) less because the berries are much warmer and won't chill down the batter overall, nor will they release any where near the water into the batter that frozen berries do.

6-Bake until done. I hesitate to give a baking range because you must watch your cake, not the clock.7-Bake until center is slightly domed and set, golden in color, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. At any time your cake is beginning to look a bit too golden brown before you suspect the center will set up, tent it with a sheet of foil laid across the top. I baked for 52 minutes total, and at the 45 minute mark, I tented with foil. Baking times will range dramatically based on if baking with fresh or frozen berries; ranging from 3o to 60 minutes depending on the temperature of the berries going into the batter and how much water they release.

8-Place pan on a wire rack and allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.9-Optionally, dust with confectioners' sugar or a simple glaze. This lemon glaze, this buttery vanilla glaze, this browned butter glaze, or this vanilla cream cheese glaze are all excellent, quick, and easy options.

I am totally in love with apples and bread pudding. That’s why I made a caramel apple bread pudding for my first Improv Challenge. This new version takes it to a new level because the bread itself had apples baked into it and then I topped it with cinnamon covered sauteed apples. I had to eat a bowl of the apples by themselves while the rest of the gang devoured the pudding. I didn’t feel deprived at all. The apples were delicious! I am only giving you the sauteed apple recipe here, because I used the same basic recipe for this apple bread pudding as in the caramel apple bread pudding.

Author: Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker Ingredients: 5 cooking apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced½ cup butter⅓ cup agave nectar2 tsp cinnamon¼ tsp salt Instructions: Heat butter in a skillet until melted. Add the apples and cook until soft and slightly translucent. Add the agave, cinnamon and salt. Continue cooking a few minutes more so that the butter and agave thicken a bit.